Artists

Manel Ramada – Per-se-cussio

Andrea Jordà, Eva Català, Xacobe Roca, Pablo Mor, Arturo Reina, Ferran Mechó
Director: Manel Ramada
Per-se-cussió Ensemble is the percussion ensemble from de Conservatory Superior of Music in Valencia (Spain). It was created by Manel Ramada since 1989 and has been formed by many students who have studied at the conservatory. They have toured all around Spain playing in many festivals, and also in Portugal, Italy, Poland and Eslovenia. They have premiered many pieces by spanish composers and they have played different shows for children concerts. Also they have played with soloists like A. Lipner, R. van Sice, F. Latanzzi, M. Bernat, K. Bobo, F. Macarez, P. Spiesser, D. Kuhn, M. Kamiya, C. Apellaniz, Z. Racz, M. Garcia, A. Zeze, etc.

Pete Lockett

Award winning musician Pete Lockett is one of the most versatile and prolific percussionists in the World. His percussive skills cover percussion from every corner of the globe and he has worked with Björk, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Dido, Steve Gadd, Bill Bruford, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Jeff Beck, The Verve, Texas, Primal Scream, Damien Rice, Jarvis Cocker, Craig Armstrong, and many more! Pete arranged and recorded all the ethnic percussion for five 007 'Bond' films and many other Hollywood blockbusters. He has released fifteen CD's under his own name. He also released a best selling percussion app for iDevices. DrumJam was released in 2012. Pete endorses Remo drum heads and percussion, Sabian cymbals, Mapex drum sets and Vic Firth sticks. Pete is guest professor of percussion at Shanghai conservatory of music.

Joey Baron i Robyn Schulkowsky

Unconstrained by standard tonal and rhythmic paradigms, the duo of master musicians Robyn Schulkowsky and Joey Baron continue to explore the precise, noisy, and beautiful. The duo's past 15 years have included the release of the CD "Dinosaur Dances", a residency at Grand Central Station NYC, ongoing work with data expert dr. Nilam Ram and Studio Lab "Playing The Archives", close work with composer Christian Wolff, along with performances and workshops in South America, the U.S., Europe, and China. The duo's second album is scheduled for release in December.

Joey Baron started playing at age 9. Over the years, he has developed a unique, masterful approach to making music with the drum set, evident in his extended tenures with jazz icons Jim Hall, Steve Kuhn, and John Abercrombie. His long-term collaboration with Bill Frisell was documented and released "JUST LISTEN" on Relative Pitch Records in 2013. Presently, Mr. Baron's activities include solo concerts, workshops, master classes, plus ongoing projects with John Zorn, "Now This" with Gary Peacock and Marc Copeland, "Sound Prints" with Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas and the new trio of Danish guitarist Jakob Bro with bassist Thomas Morgan.

Percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky is a world-renowned experimental music performer and composer engaged in continuous exploration of new sound dimensions and development of new and unusual instruments. She has premiered and recorded some of the most important percussion works of the 20th and 21st centuries, performing in solo tours around the globe. Schulkowsky works or has worked with composers Karlheinz Stockhausen, Iannis Xenakis, Morton Feldman, John Cage, Christian Wolff, artists Guenther Uecker and Manon de Boer, choreographers Merce Cunningham and Sasha Waltz and many others

Stanisław Kokoszka

Born in 1973 in Cracow. In 1997 he graduated with first class honours from the percussion class of the Academy of Music in Cracow. During the 1998 - 2001 period he improved his skills at postgraduate studies in prof. Klaus Treßelt's class at Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart.

Stanisław Kokoszka has participated in numerous international and domestic contests: Kiejstut Bacewicz International Chamber Music Contest in Łódź in 1995, International Marimba Competition in Stuttgart in 1996 and in Okaya (Japan) in 1999, Krzysztof Penderecki International Contemporary Chamber Music Contest in Cracow in 1999 and Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD in Munich in 2001. As an instrumentalist he has collaborated with, among others: Opera and Operetta in Cracow, Cracow Philharmonic, Cracow Percussion Group, Percussion Ensemble Stuttgart and Junge Oper der Staatsoper in Stuttgart. At the moment he is studying musicology and ethnology for the doctorate degree at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg.

Thomas Riccio

Professor of Performance Studies and Artistic Director at the University of Texas at Dallas. His previous positions include Professor of Theatre at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Artistic Director of Chicago's Organic Theatre Company, Dramaturg/Resident Director at the Cleveland Play House, Associate Literary Director at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard and research assistant to Robert Brustein. As a free-lance director he staged productions at, among others, Teatro d'Roma, La Mama ETC and The New York Theatre Workshop. In recent years he has worked extensively in the area of indigenous performance serving as Artistic Director of Tuma Theatre of native Alaska inhabitants. He has directed performances with the Zulu, the Sakha National Theatre of central Siberia, the Greenland Inuit, Zambian tribal groups, Sri Lankan Tamils, the Xuu and Khwe Bushmen of the lower Kalahari and a pre-Christian Slavic group in St. Petersburg. He has conducted workshops and presented lectures in the U.S. as well as Europe and Burkina Faso. He was a Visiting Professor at the Korean National University for the Arts and the University of Dar es Salaam. In 1999 he received an APPEX fellowship at UCLA. His play Comeback Für Elvis was produced by Frankfurt's Kleist Theatre during their 1995-1996 season. His articles appeared in several periodicals, among others: TDR, Theatre Forum, Theatre Topics, Theatre Research International and Performing arts Journal. For the Fairbanks Drama Association he wrote and directed a highly acclaimed production of Pipe Dreams based on oral histories from the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. He was a panelist (1999-2002) for the Edward Albee Last Frontier Conference in Valdez, Alaska. His current interests include performance and research projects with the Miao people (China) and in the Kisumu district, Kenya. In spring 2002 he conducted workshops at the Kenya National Theatre and at the Edupuppet 2002 festival. At the moment Thomas Riccio is completing his book of travel stories and developing an Immersion Narrative and Cyber Ritual projects in collaboration with the Institute for Interactive Arts and Engineering. In summer 2004 he will conduct a Meta-Media Laboratory for performers, animators, programmers and game designers at the University of Texas, Dallas.

Thomas Riccio's lecture "Rhythm Reality" during the II Percussion Festival "Sources and Inspirations" in Cracow will outline the role of rhythm as a basis and connective tissue linking all the world's cultures.

Jan Młynarski

Born in Warsaw in 1979 in a family of musical traditions. His musical education began with playing the piano and at the age of twelve he started to learn to play percussion. He graduated from the Private School of Light Music and Jazz in Warsaw.

When still at school he began to collaborate with Pilich Und Funk, a group of an outstanding percussionist Wojciech Pilichowski, which allowed him to start working as a sideman. He has performed with Natalia Kukulska (several open-air concerts), Renata Dąbkowska (Grand Prix at the festival in Opole in 1999), Robert Amirian, Maryla Rodowicz, Grzegorz Markowski, Reni Jusis and Kasia Stankiewicz working with her on her solo project and also with Cesaria Evora, Ace of Base, Chris De Burgh, Filip Sojka, Piotr Żaczek and Sistairs. Since autumn 2000 he has been collaborating on a permanent basis with Kayah, with whom he has performed at concerts in the United States, during her concert tour in Canada and during her Polish tour lasting from October to November 2003 promoting her latest album "Stereotype", in the recording of which he has taken part.

Jan Młynarski has also appeared at festivals in Opole, Sopot and at the 4 Cultures Festival. In 2001 he founded his own band '15 Minut Projekt". This is also the title of his debut CD with author music that he has recorded and produced. This CD was nominated in 2004 to the Fryderyki Prize.

Janusz Muniak

Legendary Cracow jazzman, saxophonist, flutist, arranger and composer, was born in 1941. He graduated from the secondary music school in Cracow. He made his debut in 1960 in Witold Miszczak's band. It was there that he was spotted and invited to Tomasz Stańko's group Jazz Darings. In 1964 he made a success at Jazz Jamboree festival together with Andrzej Trzaskowski's quintet.

He has collaborated with Krzysztof Komeda, Tomasz Stańko, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski and Jan Jarczyk. He first appeared as a leader in 1976 with his quintet, to which he managed to attract gifted musicians of young jazz generation: a percussionist Jerzy Bezucha, a guitarist Marek Bliziński, a bass player Andrzej Dechnik and a pianist Paweł Perliński. In 1979 r. he founded a quartet with Jarosław Śmietana, a guitarist, realizing his musical aspirations there.

He is the originator and owner of a well-known jazz club "U Muniaka" in Cracow.

Ed Thigpen

Legendary jazz drummer adored by the audience and admired by critics. He was born on December 30th 1930 in Chicago and grew up in Los Angeles. In 1959 he joined Oscar Peterson Trio that has been considered to be the bas piano-bass-drum trio in the history of jazz. Their collaboration resulted in more than 50 recordings and performances all over the world. In 1972 he settled down in Denmark pursuing his activity both as a musician and an educator. He has performed with such outstanding artists as: Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis, Pat Boone, Andy Williams, Peggy Lee, Oliver Nelson, Gerald Wilson, Sylvia Vrethammer, Sven Asmussen and Thad Jones. He is also the founder of his own "Action-Reaction" group. Beside purely musical activity he is also present in the educational field. He gave lectures on jazz percussion in Music Högskolan, Sweden and presently in Rhythmic Conservatory, Copenhagen. His artistic output encompasses moreover five books about percussion technique. He is also the recipient of the 2002 International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) Humanitarian Award and the 2002 International Federation of Phonagraph Industry (IFPI) Danish Jazz Awards. The Percussive Art Society (PAS) honoured Ed Thigpen by inducting him into its Hall of Fame. He travels all over Europe, as well as the United States and Canada, giving concerts, performing at clinics and conducting seminars.

Wojtek Groborz

Pianist born in 1956 in Cracow. He started his education in cello, grand piano and trombone classes in music schools. However, it is jazz education, on which he embarked at the age of 14 and from the beginning under the supervision of Tomasz Stańko and Zbigniew Seifert, that has become the most significant for him. He made his debut on the jazz scene together with his big orchestra at the opening concert of Krakowskie Zaduszki Jazzowe in 1975. In 1978 Jarek Śmietana, a guitarist, offered Wojtek a job in the then popular group Extra Ball.

In the 80-ies he performed with leading Polish jazz musicians, among others with Janusz Muniak, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski and Henryk Majewski. After two years' collaboration with Przemek Gwoździowski in Axis band he set up his own group After Action Satisfaction. In autumn 1986 together with bass player Antek Dębski, his friend of many years', and a percussionist Jacek Pelc he founded his first trio. Since 1987 up to this day he has collaborated with an almost legendary group Jazz Band Ball Orchestra. With this band he has been giving concerts in the whole Europe and visiting the US West Coast regularly. Since the mid 90-ies together with the leader of JBBO, Jan Kudyk, he has run a bopop group Groborz-Kudyk Qunitet that was joined 2 years ago by a leading Polish percussionist Kazimierz Jonkisz. Privately he is also active as an educator. His students include, among others: Bogdan Hołownia, Joachim Mencel and Kuba Stankiewicz.

Anders Mogensen

Outstandingly gifted and original drummer coming form Denmark, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and The Rhythmic Conservatory. He was born on July 1st 1969. He has collaborated with such artists as: Bob Berg, Dave Liebman, Rick Margitza, Gary Thomas, David Liebman, Brecker Brothers, Ron McClure, Tim Berne, Michael Formanek, Steve Swallow and Marc Johnson. His artistic output encompasses numerous CDs, four of which were recorded with him as a leader ("External Experience - A.M.", "External Experience - Taking off", "External Experience - Taking off again" and "Live" with Anders Mogensen Trio). He has moreover recorded discs with, among others, Frisk Quartet, When Granny Sleeps, Petter Wettre, Doky Brothers, Copenhagen Art Ensemble and with Jakob HolmTrio (together with Johan Segerberg) and Jakob Anderskov Trio (together with a world-famous bass-player Michael Formanek). He has given concerts in many European countries as well as the United States. He took part in Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival in 2002 r., Kungsberg Jazz Festival in 2001 r., international percussion festivals in Oslo, Copenhagen, Arhus i Leverkusen and several similar ones. He was rewarded for his artistic activity with a few prizes such as Holstebro Music Prize, Roland Music Prize and Jakob Gade Music Prize. He is also active in the educational field giving lectures on percussion in Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odensee.

JWP.org

JWP.org group has been created in August 2003 in Cracow on the initiative of Dominik Wania, a pianist, and the rhythmical section of Wojtek and Jacek Fedkowicz. In October, after one of the concerts, the band was joined by prof. Jan Pilch enriching its music with a whole range of percussion instruments. The last person to become the band's member was Tomek Pruchnicki, a young saxophonist from Wrocław, famous among others for his collaboration with Zbigniew Namysłowski's Big Band.

At first pieces by Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter and McCoy Tyner prevailed in the group's repertoire, with time, however, fascinations with drum'n'bass, jungle, such genres as m-bass and free jazz began to find expression. In February this year the group gained a honourable mention at Bielsko Jazz Blizzard, as a result of which a concert was recorded in the studio of Katowice radio. In March the band appeared at the 40th Jazz by the River Odra festival. Currently the group is working at its own material as a product of its members' inspirations

Academy od Music in Cracow Percussion Ensemble

The Percussion Group consists of students and graduates of the Academy of Music in Cracow. The group's repertoire includes contemporary percussion literature pieces written for different instrumental line-ups, beginning with such pieces as " Marimba Spirituals", through "Koyote Dreams" or "Concert for Timpani", to pieces relating to jazz and light music like "Concert for Drum Set and Percussion Ensemble" of John Beck.

During the previous edition of the festival the band successfully performed two percussion concerts: "Concert for Timpani & Percussion Ensemble" of J. Beck and "Concerto for Marimba & Percussion Ensemble" of M.J. Rosauro. The present edition of the festival will witness two new pieces of D. Mancini and M. Houlif for a jazz set and percussion group

The Helios Percussion Project

Consists of current students at the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music Odense, Denmark. It has participated in several percussion festivals, mainly in Munich, Berlin, Copenhagen and latest in Odense with percussion soloist, Li Biao (China). The members are, beside playing with the group, each pursuing different careers like working with Danish symphonic orchestras, chambermusic ensembles, jazz groups or creating a solo career.

The different musical influence gives the group a special opportunity to choose their repertoire within a variety of musical genres. The repertoire consists partly of recognized international composers, but the group commits itself mainly to enlarge the knowledge of music composed by Danish composers.

Robert Sztorc

Born in 1981 and currently studies at the Academy of Music in Cracow in the percussion class. He took part in Polish Percussion Audition in Opole (1997) and Rzeszów (1999) and in the XVII Polish Festival "Talents' Week" in Tarnów (1998) together with "Fair Play" group. In 1997 he gave concerts in Denmark during the European Festival of Young Musicians. He was ranked second at the festival in Neerpelt (1998), won the first prize at the XIV Provincial Review of Musical Talents in Tarnów (1999), won the "Bronze String" at Bydgoszcz Musical Impressions with Swing Orchestra of Tarnów (1997) and also received a honourable mention at the XIII Provincial Review of Musical Talents in Tarnów (1998). He has taken part in percussion workshops conducted by Nippy Nova, Bernard Masel and Cezary Konrad, jazz workshops in Chodzież conducted by K. Przybyłowicz and participated in the recordings of the Academic Symphony Orchestra and Cracow Chamber Choir.

Zoltan Lantos i Kornel Horvath

The Zoltán Lantos Kornél Horváth Duo is well known in the Hungarian and European contemporary jazz scene. Zoltán Lantos received his degree in classical violin from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. Being drawn towards experimental and eastern music he travelled to India on a scholarship to study classical Indian Music in 1985. After returning to Budapest in 1994 he went on developing his own unique way of improvising on the violin blending his musical roots with Eastern music and contemporary European jazz. Since then he has been performing and recording with various musicians such as Márta Sebestyén, László Dés, Mihály Dresch, Gábor Juhász and Kornél Horváth from his native Hungary as well as Charlie Mariano, Dave Liebman, Ramesh Shotham, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Lars Danielsson, Dhafer Youssef, Markus Stockhausen, Achim Tang, Patrice Heral and others. Aside his main project called "Mirrorworld" he also plays solo violin performances using electronic devices. During the last few years he has been invited to several international jazz- and world music festivals with his own group and also as a guest artist of other projects.

Zoltán Lantos and Kornél Horváth, a percussionist famous in Hungary as well as all over Europe, have been working with each other in various formations during the last few years. Kornél Horváth has a number of recordings additionally to his own solo projects. He is mostly known for his work with Trio Stendhal and has worked with many international jazz musicians such as David Friedmann, Randy Brecker or the virtuoso Munir Bashir. The present Zoltán Lantos Kornél Horváth Duo was created in the middle of 2000.Their music is hard to put into any particular category although the musical concept of similar projects in internationally recognized as World Jazz.

Guy Bilong

Guy Bilong is an outstandingly talented percussionist coming from Cameroon. He has displayed musical interests from early childhood. He began his career as a percussionist accompanying well-known African artists such as: Fela Ramson Kuti, Alpha Blondi, Mory Kante, Manu Dibango and many others. Afterwards he left Cameroon and went to Paris where in 1990 he set up together with some friends his own group "les Camerlog's". Their first album "Makossa Connection" released in 1990 turned out to be a great success. He won the Album of the Year title in native Cameroon and was chosen the best album by African media. During the period 1991 - 1993 the group was giving concerts all around the world - in The United States, Australia, Europe, South America and many African countries.

In 1996 the first solo album of Guy Bilong entitled "Vibration" was released and in 2000 "Ngando" appeared, recorded with participation of his two brothers, This year he also founded a "Vibration" group together with Bachot Muna.

Guy Bilong has collaborated with such artists as, among others: Mony Bile, Gilbert Montagnier (joint concerts during his tournee in Cameroon) and Ousman Kouyate. In 2003 he also took part in the recording of "Ma Joie" and "Theo Bongo".

Dom Famularo (New York)

He owns his opinion of a leading world artist and percussion art educator to his amazing music and wonderful interpersonal skills. He has been providing unforgettable entertainment giving concerts from China and the Far East to the most important percussion festivals in Europe as well as North and South America.

Having been taught by such celebrities as among others Jim Chapin, Al Miller and Joe Morelo, Dom Famularo combined the techniques of masters from the past with innovative conceptions of the 90-ies, thus forming an extremely creative and unique music style.

With hands "equipped" with the famous Moeller's technique and feet "dancing" with quick patterns on double bass pedal, Dom delights the audience with dynamic music of diverse dynamics and style and at the same time enormous energy and ease. His music tone is soaked with Jazz, Funk, Fusion and World elements, but every strike shows great ingenuity. All this makes his music so exciting, joyful and inspiring.

Dom Famularo is the educational director in Sabian, Vic Firth and Premier - he also has his own students who come from all over the world in order to give concerts together and imitate his style.

Thomas Weiss

He was born in 1963 and he is often called "the one who builds and bangs drums". He began to learn to play "vibrating skins" at the age of 9. He has performed with different bands giving concerts in the whole Europe. His musical foundations and roots are: Basler Trommeln (tradition of march drumming bands connected with the Basle carnival Fastnacht), African and free style conga playing technique, bamboo xylophone music from Bali as well as Korean drum music and Indian one.

Since 1989 his main occupation has been constructing and building of percussion instruments for the Swiss company BerchtoldDrums In Liestal. He has recorded CDs with such musicians and groups as LuKas Rohner, Hati - Hati, Mustafa Addy, Gabi Guedes, Monika Esslinger, Dasot Sori, WSO, J. van Drogenbroeck, Samul Nori, Mats Lässer, A. & P. Shejwal, Megadrums, Swiss Kebap.

Tom L. Nicholas

He was born in 1938 In Philadelphia. As a child he learnt to play the cello in "Hill Elementary School" In Philadelphia. Afterwards percussion aroused his interest and finally, as a teenager, he became a drummer in a rhythm'n'blues band of Jimmy McGriff. After a few years in the US army he left to San Francisco where, among others, gave concerts with such musicians as: Dewey Redman, John Handy, Pharoah Sanders and Eddie Moore. His recordings with Kenny Burrell and Michale Howell come from this period.

In the 70-ies he lived In New York where he performed with numerous bands: George Coleman Octet, Eddie Moore's Space Shuttle Omnibus and many others. In the 80-ies he moved to Europe to live in Darmstadt where he collaborated with "Mombasa" band of Lou Blackburn and "Family of Percussion" band. He went on tournee with such artists and groups as among others: Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim), Őzay Fecht, Wolfgang Lackerschmidt, Jürgen Wuchner, Carla Bley, Vienna Art Orchestra. He performed at festivals in Pori (Finland), Montreux, Hadgue, Leverkusen, Burghausen and Frankfurt.

At present he performs with "Black and White Co-Op", "Nocholas-Waters Duo Project" with the participation of saxophonist Monty Waters and collaborates with Jürgen Wuchners Band. Tom Nicholas is also active in the teaching field. He is connected with "Jazz-Institut Darmstadt" where he gives classes and conducts workshops.

Sylwia Żytyńska

Born in 1963 in Warsaw. She learnt to play the piano, cello and drums in Music Secondary School in Warsaw, studied at the Academy of Music in Cracow and at Musikhochschule in Basle, where in 1985 she got a degree in percussion with special consideration of contemporary music. She is a soloist and chamber player systematically giving concerts at the most important contemporary music festivals. She possesses a rich artistic output of CD and radio recordings. She is a permanent member of "Ensembles 13, Manfred Reichert" (Karlsruhe) and "Duo Percussion/Strings" together with Egidius Streiff. She performs with other bands, too, eg. Ensemble IGNM Basel and Musica Aperta Milano. She pre-performed many pieces of contemporary composers, including: Partricia Jünger, Rudolf Kelterborn, Wolfgang Rihm, H. J. Hespos, Johan Cage, Alejandro Vinao, Cergio Prudencio.

Within the confines of "Neue Musik Rümlingen" she realized her own performance: in 1995 with T. J. Hauck - "Himmel auf Erde" and in 1997 - "Ninos" with the participation of 20 children and young people from Basle neighbourhood. In 1993 her interests in musical theatre and performance led her to set up, together with the director T. J. Hauck and writer E. Baumgartnerem, "Produktionsgemeinschaft Kunst und Mehr - DER LÄNGSTE TAG", where she works as a composer, musician and artist.

Her artistic output as a composer encompassess music (together with W. Heiniger) for the balet for Basler Stadttheater (choreography - H. Spoerli), stage music for "Luzi" F. K. Waechter and S.Beckett "Catastrophy" for"Compagnie de la Rose" (Paris), music for the theatre of shadows "Cadrage Figurentheater" (H. Kreisz, Stutgartt), music for the dance theatre for Stadtstheater Giessen (choreography - A. Kocijan) and numerous marimba and percussion pieces to be played solo and in a group. Since 1985 she has been giving lectures in the percussion class at the Academy of Music in Basle. She also runs a percussion group "METRAXA" that she founded there.